Greatness? A revival? A new direction? Kelly Withum, the executive director of Mainspring of Ephrata, as well as Jim Brown and David Boland, who helped to revitalize the borough’s Christmas celebration, believe all three things are possible.

Kelly Withum is the executive director of Mainspring of Ephrata.

Small towns all across America are finding ways to entice both new residents and a new generation of visitors. Peruse the internet and a Top 10, 25 or 50 listing of small towns that are the most beautiful, quaint, fun, exciting or livable pops up on an almost daily basis. It seems that small towns are creating identities that pay homage to their past but look to the future.
In Lancaster County, small towns have been taking a cue from Lancaster City and are recreating themselves.

Ephrata is among them. Last fall, I attended a viewing of a film that celebrated Lancaster’s turn at hosting the Governor’s Awards program. One of the speakers speculated that the city’s rising cost of living could spark a migration of artists to the county’s smaller towns, specifically mentioning Columbia and a new star on the rise, Ephrata. Judging from the businesses that are opening throughout town, Ephrata’s niche might be entrepreneurial opportunities.

Such a sentiment only verifies what business leaders and volunteers in the borough have detected over the past several years. Ephrata is readying itself for a new chapter. Like other successful small-town turnarounds, Kelly stresses that creating a new vision for Ephrata will require hard work, commitment and a can-do attitude. “It all starts at a grassroots level,” she explains. “Everyone from the police to shop owners understand the importance of being friendly and helpful to visitors. Signage is important, too, especially for those using the rail trail.” When she accepted the job, Kelly immersed herself in all-things Ephrata by reviewing previous comprehensive plans and studies. She hopes they can be used as the foundations for new strategies.

Students from Ephrata High School solved an “eyesore” of a problem – windows filled with plywood – by creating murals that depict what you can see from a train. The students worked with muralist Katie Trainer last fall to plan and carry out the project that brings art to Whistle Stop Plaza.

Ephrata took another step forward by consolidating three existing organizations — Downtown Ephrata Inc., Ephrata Alliance and the Ephrata Economic Development Corporation — to create Mainspring of Ephrata, whose mission is to promote the economic vitality of the Ephrata community. Mainspring of Ephrata is governed by a 13-member volunteer board of directors comprised of residents, business owners, professionals, educators, borough personnel and representatives from other community nonprofits. While each of the organizations played key roles in various components of Ephrata — sponsoring community events and the development of Mountain Springs, a mural and Whistle Stop Plaza — having one organization allows the combined talents of its members to be focused on one goal.

Fortunately for Ephrata, Kelly has been on the front lines in helping Lancaster and Lititz revitalize their downtown areas. “Ephrata has so many assets working in its favor,” she says, pointing to the downtown area, its parks and greenspace, its historical sites and the performing arts. “Connecting all the dots will only make the community stronger.”

So, where do you begin? Jim and David say how people perceive Ephrata is a good place to start. “People think it’s so far away,” Jim says of the challenge that exists to entice visitors to travel 10 miles up Route 222 from Route 30. David, who operates the retirement community The Groves in Ephrata and is a member of the Mainspring board, says he sometimes makes the trip from his home in Lancaster several times a day. “It’s really not a big deal,” he says. But, then again, Jim admits that Ephrata residents have a similar mindset and think Lancaster “is a haul,” which results in a disconnect. Just as people who live in Elizabethtown head for Harrisburg and Hershey for shopping and entertainment, residents of northern Lancaster County often head to Reading.

Of course, Ephrata boasts a heritage unlike any other small town (with perhaps the exception of Lititz) in Lancaster County. Jim, who maintains the archives of the Ephrata National Bank and is a board member for the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County, calls The Historical Society of the Cocalico Valley “a tremendous asset.”

The three also point to the Eicher Arts Center as a wonderful example of Ephrata’s heritage. Even Mainspring’s office speaks of Ephrata’s history, as it is located in the original train station that escaped demolition and is now the centerpiece of the multifunctional Whistle Stop Plaza. At 100 years old, the Ephrata Fair has come to represent a sense of community that is rarely found anymore.

The view from atop Ephrata Mountain.

Relatively new to the allure of Ephrata are the greenspaces being made available to residents and visitors. There are more than a dozen parks, playgrounds and trails in the borough. Of course, everyone is excited that the Warwick to Ephrata Rail-Trail (WERT) is nearly complete. The trail connects Lititz to Akron and Ephrata. In Ephrata’s case, it passes through the center of town, enabling restaurants and shops to benefit from the foot and bike traffic.

The newest project is Heatherwood Bike Park, 18 acres of hilly woodland located between Ephrata and Akron. Kelly explains that the project will turn an area with a sketchy reputation into a passive park that will be dedicated solely to mountain biking and trail running. It will be the first park of its kind in the state. “We’ll be turning a negative into a positive,” Kelly notes. “Visitors will be able to have fun and enjoy the outdoors.” Another bonus is the fact that the acreage is adjacent to WERT. A GoFundMe account aims to raise $8,500 for the project. A cleanup day was held April 27. Three breweries in the area – St. Boniface, Black Forest and Pour Man’s – collaborated to create a special brew called Ale for Trails, proceeds from which will benefit the fundraising effort. Each brewery will be selling it this summer.

With more than 322 acres dedicated to recreation, Ephrata boasts the largest park system per capita in the state. New to the system is the Warwick to Ephrata Rail-Trail.

Making Ephrata an attractive and livable community is also part of Mainspring’s mission. “Opportunities for home ownership abound,” Jim points out. For those seeking period architecture, there’s good news. “Homes within the borough that were divided into rental units are being converted back into single-family homes,” he adds. If modern living is more your style, builders such as Garman and Landmark are developing everything from townhouses to 55+ communities in areas around Ephrata. There are at least a half-dozen senior living communities in the area.

Potential homeowners are often concerned about the school system, and Kelly describes the Ephrata Area School District (which ranks ninth in the county per the annual U.S. News & World Report rankings) as “amazing. We’re working with them on several projects.” She sees students as representing “the future of our community.” Another resource of which Ephrata is proud is its public library. “It’s a very successful and top-notch library,” Jim says.

The three are also very complimentary of the borough’s leadership and point to the solar farm that it owns and operates, supplying 4 to 5% of the borough’s electric needs. They are also happy to see natural gas being introduced to the borough. “Obviously, UGI is looking at the town as an opportunity,” Jim says, noting the introduction of natural gas will be a boon for restaurants and even area businesses.

In order to assess how attractive Ephrata is to potential residents, Mainspring conducted a series of focus groups, including one composed of millennials. “This is a very different kind of generation in regard to what they want in a hometown,” Kelly notes, adding that walkability, craft beer, coffee, organic food and opportunities for community involvement and entrepreneurship are important to them.

While Jim and David don’t live in Ephrata, they’ve become very involved as volunteers. They are most proud of the Christmas in Ephrata event they and Cindy Mellinger helped to revive. Held on the evening of Black Friday, the family-friendly event features Toyland, wagon rides, crafts, games, food trucks, a tree lighting, a laser light show, music, carol singing and a visit from Santa Claus, as well as the Belsnickel. The tradition dates to 1923, but over the years, attendance waned. When the three became involved, maybe a few hundred turned out. “Last year, we had 9,000 attend,” David reports.

For more information, visit mainspringofephrata.org.

EPAC’s Sharadin Bigler Theatre now operates nearly year-round. EPAC also sponsors a number of programs for children. Photo by Nick Gould.

In the spring of 1733, sisters Anna and Maria Eicher made a pilgrimage to join the growing settlement of what is now known as the Ephrata Cloister. The Eicher sisters were given a home across the Cocalico Creek from the Cloister — as to remain separated from the men — on 101 acres warranted to the Eicher family from the sons of William Penn. Now, almost three centuries later, the same property is home to a theater whose productions appeal to a diverse audience.

The men of the Cloister ultimately created a “suitable” dwelling for female members of the religious order, but the development of the land across the Cocalico Creek had been put into motion. Today, the Eicher sisters’ cabin still stands as part of the Eicher Arts Center directly across from the Ephrata Performing Arts Center, better known as EPAC.

The Eicher land, which has now been reduced to a fraction of its original acreage and makes up Thomas P. Grater Community Park, was divided and sold amongst Ephrata residents — including tavernkeepers, blacksmiths and absconded Tories — until 1913, when it was deeded to the Ephrata Park Association. The association lost controlling interest of the land in the 1930s, and it became a summer resort for Spiritualists of Camp Silver Belle. “Seances and other activities” held in the park’s dance hall drew the ire of many residents, and the spiritualists were evicted from the park in 1935. Enter American Legion Post 429 and the Borough of Ephrata, which still control the property today.

Jonathan Groff, who appeared on our November 2007 cover – he was the toast of Broadway thanks to his performance in Spring Awakening – appeared in EPAC productions when he was a high school student at Conestoga Valley. Allan Holm Photo.

In 1953, Broadway producer John Cameron — who had a run of four Broadway shows in 1934 and 35 — brought summer stock to the park’s pavilion, which was built atop the original foundation of the Eicher family barn. The Legion Star Playhouse was born.

“For years he ran this place as summer stock when summer stock was a big, big thing. It used to be huge,” says Edward Fernandez, EPAC artistic director and de facto co-historian with David Dierwechter.

Cameron had great connections with Broadway; his first show, The Gods We Make, opened in the Mansfield Theatre (now called Brooks Atkinson Theatre and home to Waitress since 2016). His Ephrata productions included stars like Roy Scheider, Betty White, Ann B. Davis and a young Robert DeNiro. “All these stars stayed at the Eicher Center, which was then a hotel,” Fernandez notes. “The theatre was packed!”

Every Saturday night two shows were performed in the round on the open-air stage, which eventually became the Ephrata Star Theatre. Ultimately, time began to take a physical toll on the building, and it started to fall into disrepair. “With the building on its last legs, the community got together and saved it from being demolished,” Fernandez adds.

By the late 60s, the theatre had taken on a new name and was affectionately known and branded as The Playhouse in the Park; remnants of the Playhouse logo can still be found in obscure corners of the theatre. A new group of active theatre-citizens stepped up in 1972 and formed a not-for-profit organization in 1979. The following year marked the first as the Ephrata Performing Arts Center.

“After a run of outside groups producing shows here, they started to produce their own productions. And, shortly after, I came down,” says Fernandez, a New York City native who left the Big Apple for Ephrata in 1986.

Ephrata provided Fernandez with a new lease on life. “I had gone to school for theatre, but it was party time in New York in the ’80s. I came down here and did a show called Mousetrap, and it felt so good. I stayed; I really don’t know why I made that decision. I said, ‘one more year, one more year.’ Well, one more year turned into 30.”

He directed his first EPAC show, Gold Dust, before he turned 30. “It was kind of a cult hit,” he recalls. “Then, I did Little Shop of Horrors, and I started to become a little more known in the community.”

The Eicher Arts Center, which is now an events venue, once served as a hotel for actors who performed in summer stock productions that were held in an open-air pavilion that over the years operated under various names. Photo by Nick Gould.

He became artistic director in 1996. At the time, Fernandez was still operating a seasonal theatre open to the elements. Squirrels chewed through special effects wiring during Sunday in the Park with George. Birds often made unexpected entrances. Theatergoers wrapped themselves in blankets for evening performances in the fall.

So, in 2001 EPAC set out on a capital campaign and raised over $1.7 million (plus $700,000 from Ephrata Borough) to enclose the theatre, install an HVAC system and provide other functional amenities. The project was completed in 2004 for the production of 1776.

Even with a spirited fundraising effort, the theatre was still carrying a good amount of debt above its operating costs. In 2011, long-time season sponsor and EPAC member Terry Bigler pledged a 10-year, $400,000 donation to work down mortgage debt through the Michael Sharadin-Terry Bigler Fund. To show its gratitude, the EPAC board moved to place the name Sharadin Bigler Theatre on the building.

“We can continue to grow. What we are looking at is to put sustainable plans in place, and the future will most likely include some sort of rebranding. There are a lot of theaters in Lancaster County that offer amenities that we don’t necessarily have but would like to offer in the future,” says Andrea Glass, current president of the EPAC Board of Directors. “We have an unrivaled theatrical product in the region, but we need to match that with all aspects of what we do.”

The 2018 season was one of the most successful for EPAC — artistically and financially. The line-up included the heartwarming family musical Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, as well as the rocking tale of a genderqueer German in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Peter and the Starcatcher, a sort of prequel to Peter Pan, and the classic West Side Story butted up against productions of lesbian writer Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home and the adult puppet play Hand to God.

“We are really passionate about our vision that is ‘theatre that matters,’” says Glass, who is a Women and Gender Studies instructor at the University of Delaware. “We are helping to facilitate dialogue about critical issues. It’s important that a whole host of different audiences can see themselves on the EPAC stage.”

“Theatre that Matters” is EPAC’s mission catchphrase. Fernandez recognizes that theatre can matter differently to different people. He approaches the definition by considering community and diversity in the spirit of what it is to be human. His task each year is to build a season filled with shows that are both financially viable and those that elevate the theatre experience beyond mere entertainment.

“He uses theatre as a window into our souls and makes us question and reflect. He is deliberate with his choices and the way he organizes a season,” Glass says, reflecting on EPAC’s recent production of Ragtime. “At first, I looked at Ragtime as a nostalgic piece, and I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about it. As I watched the production, I was wowed by the layers that kept unfolding. I came to think about that show in a completely different way, and that is why Ed is so brilliant.”

Fernandez’s luster is not the only spot of brilliance mentioned in conversations about EPAC. Even with a new roof, the building can only attempt to contain the caliber of talent that has found its way through EPAC in recent years. Most notably is the emergence of Tony Award nominee Jonathan Groff, who played Melchior Gabor in Spring Awakening and King George III in Hamilton on Broadway. He got his start at EPAC, appearing in Bat Boy: The Musical (2004) and Honk! (2002) while still in high school. “One of the reason’s we expanded was so that we could expand the youth programming,” Fernandez explains. “The youth programming is feeding into our mainstage.”

Both Fernandez and Glass agree the future of EPAC rests in the next generation of players. Reigning in new talent is Irving Gonzalez’s labor of love. Gonzalez, who attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, joined the EPAC family in 2005 for the performance of Evita. The role of chorus member led to assistant director and director responsibilities. He took control of EPAC’s Kids 4 Kids program and Summer Stage Theatre Camp in 2011.

“I had known Irving as a fellow actor … and it was a natural progression. He directed one Kids 4 Kids show, and he was off and running,” Fernandez recalls. “He took over the camp and made it really big. That’s when everything started to percolate.”

This summer, campers will present Disney’s Frozen Jr. That means one youngster will play Kristoff, the adorable woodsman who was voiced by Jonathan Groff in the smash-hit film of 2013. “We are training the next generation. We are really in a good place right now,” Glass remarks. “The passion that Irving has for that next generation of kids is really important. We are a family. We have heart. We have passion.”

It is quite a different pair of sisters — Anna and Elsa of Frozen — who will grace the grounds along the Cocalico Creek this summer, 286 years after Anna and Maria Eicher first settled here. What has not changed is the impact this spot of land has on the history of Ephrata and Lancaster County.

“When I think about what is really important about where EPAC is today, I recognize how it has really improved the quality of life for residents in our region,” Glass says.

Next up is Bob Fosse’s version of Pippin (July 18-August 3). For a complete schedule of productions and more information, visit ephrataperformingartscenter.com.

As Mainspring’s Kelly Withum explained, attractions such as breweries and wineries are some of the hometown amenities that appeal to potential residents, specifically millennials.

Historic-Hip

David Gallagher is from New Jersey. Rebecca Gallagher hails from New York. They met and married in Texas. Now, Ephrata is home.

A seldom-used sitting room was transformed into a tavern room. Dwight Graybill of Cocalico Builders designed and crafted the bar using reclaimed wood.

Ten years ago, the Gallaghers fulfilled their dream of moving back to the East Coast when they purchased the Historic Smithton Inn, a 7-room bed & breakfast whose roots extend to the early days of the Ephrata Cloister. The house (and a tavern), with its distinctive checkerboard pattern, was built by Henry Miller in 1763 on land that his father obtained (as a debt settlement) from Conrad Beissel. The Miller family was a householder member of the Cloister congregation.

Henry died 15 years after building the house as a result of falling prey to the fever that spread through the Cloister when it served as a hospital for soldiers convalescing from wounds received during the Battle of the Brandywine. Ownership of the house then transitioned to succeeding generations of Miller’s family until it was purchased by Israel Erb in 1856. It remained in the Erb family until 1979, at which time Allan and Dorothy Smith bought it and transformed the home into a bed & breakfast. Allan, who was an architect, did much of the remodeling work himself. When the Gallaghers purchased the property, it was in need of a new roof and windows, plus a stormwater drainage issue needed to be resolved.

Rebecca put her marketing background to work in order to nurture the business and become a part of her new hometown. In 2013, the Gallaghers celebrated the Smithton’s 250th anniversary with a year-long slate of festivities; each event served as a fundraiser for an Ephrata-area nonprofit organization. Rebecca also involved herself in community endeavors, including the Winters Memorial.

Inn owner Rebecca Gallagher reconnected with her high school classmate, Richard Woolley, who with his wife, Dana, operates Weathered Vineyards & Winery in Lehigh County, and a partnership was formed to open a tasting room at the Historic Smithton.

Rebecca is a firm believer that in order to be successful, a business must constantly evolve. In the case of the Historic Smithton, gardens began springing up. A cottage was renovated. A guest house was acquired that offers two bedrooms and a full kitchen. The inn became small-wedding friendly. Pets are welcomed. Technology is an amenity and extends to two electric vehicle charging stations.

A few years ago, Rebecca began contemplating a new use for the sitting room that went unused. “In a business such as this, if something’s not working, you need to make a change,” she explains. The answer came as a result of Rebecca reconnecting with a high school classmate, Richard Woolley, who, with his wife, Dana, launched Weathered Vineyards in New Tripoli, Lehigh County, in 2014. The Gallaghers and Woolleys formed a partnership to open a wine-tasting venue at the Historic Smithton.

The Gallaghers went to work, transforming the retiring sitting room into an inviting tavern room – Dwight Graybill of Cocalico Builders created the bar using reclaimed wood. Outside, they created an equally inviting courtyard. The menu includes Weathered Vineyards’ lineup of red and white wines, as well as locally sourced craft beer, soda and spirits. A Wine & Dine menu was created by Javateas, a local café.

The Gallaghers also added live music to the agenda, as well as special events such as holiday parties and maker/craft events. The tasting room is home to the Boozy Book Club; last month they hosted a Wine & Ice Cream Pairings event.

Their efforts have not gone unnoticed. Guests love the convenience of staying on-site, while locals are embracing the novelty of having a tasting room in their own backyard.

900 W. Main St., Ephrata. Open Wednesday-Sunday during the summer. historicsmithtoninn.com.

Room with a Brew

Denise and Bob Harter were able to realize dual dreams when they purchased the 1777 Americana Inn.

Black Forest Brewery was a dream of home-brewing enthusiast Bob Harter, who often brainstormed brewery ideas with his sons as they hiked the Black Forest Trail. He realized his dream when he and his wife, Denise, became the owners of the 1777 Americana Inn.

What’s the perfect second act for a consumer science teacher and a project manager for an accounting firm who is also an avid home brewer? If you said “innkeepers,” you would be correct. About 10 years ago, the Berks County residents launched their search for a suitable property. Their search led them across the border to Lancaster County and a distinctive white house on Main Street in Ephrata that was built by the renowned tall-case clockmaker Jacob Gorgas in 1777. After his death in 1798, the house was owned by a series of owners. During the 20th century, it was home to a doctor’s office. In 1988, Bill Donecker added it to his Doneckers community, transforming it into a bed & breakfast. When Doneckers closed, the inn went on the sale block. The Harters took it over in 2014.

Today, the inn offers guests a unique amenity – a brewery – hence its tagline, Room with a Brew. That concept came into fruition as Bob and his three sons hiked their favorite trail – the Black Forest, which loops through parts of Clinton, Potter and Lycoming counties – and would discuss beer. Bob and one of his sons, Ryan, were avid home brewers and dreamed of opening their own craft brewery. By 2009 they had turned their trail conversations into reality and trademarked their enterprise as Black Forest Brewery. With the purchase of the inn, the property provided them with space for a small brewery/brew pub.

The brew pub has become known to guests and locals for its beer that is named after local history and its extensive food menu.

Step inside the brew pub and the impression is mountain cabin. On the day we visited, locals were joined at the bar by a group of day trippers from Reading. Outside on the patio, guests were enjoying food, brews and sunshine.

The rotating beer selection, which is named after local history, could include IPA, bock/maibock, stout and ale. The focus of the extensive food menu is pub fare, with many ingredients locally sourced. Wine from Allegro is also available. Live music and special events dot the calendar.

The ventures met with success — in 2015, the 1777 Americana Inn was named a Top Beer Lovers Inn by BedandBreakfast.com.

The Harters feel as if they were destined to live in Ephrata — Conrad Beissel hailed from the Black Forest region of Germany.

301 W. Main St., Ephrata. Open Wednesday-Sunday. 1777americanainn.com.

Axing Bland Beer

St. Boniface is the inspiration for an Ephrata craft brewing company that has grown by leaps and bounds since Jess Northrup and Mike Price launched the county’s first one-barrel nanobrewery in 2011.

St. Boniface Craft Brewing Company made its debut as Lancaster County’s first nanobrewery in 2011. Its popularity prompted two moves, the last being to a former milk-processing facility. The location provides space for a full-scale production facility and canning line, as well as a kitchen that pumps out pizza, calzone and other goodies.

The St. Boniface connection is a multifaceted one. In the pre-Christianity days, people worshipped trees that the gods deemed to be sacred. Boniface, an English priest who ventured to Germany, set out to dispel that belief by taking an axe to such a tree that grew near the village of Fritzlar. A mighty gust of wind helped him to complete the job. When onlookers saw that the gods did not retaliate and Boniface remained unscathed, they converted to Christianity. His feast day of June 5 marks the date on which he was killed by robbers.

Boniface is also regarded as a patron saint of brewers. That distinction harkens back to the days in which monks would brew beer that was sold to inns and helped to establish the pub tradition. In order to differentiate one beer from another, the monasteries began to name their brews after their patron saints.

The founders of Ephrata’s St. Boniface Craft Brewing Company adopted a mighty oak tree as part of its logo and promised beer lovers that they would take an axe to bland beer. If the brewery’s success is any indication, it seems that St. Boniface has been protectively looking over the operation. In turn, the brewery has hosted an event in Boniface’s — and Ephrata’s — honor since 2014. Called Bonifest, it is held on a Saturday near to Boniface’s June 5 feast day. The annual event features beer, food and music. Attendees are encouraged to bring canned goods, which are donated to local food banks. Last year, nearly 350 pounds of food was donated.

As for their nano beginnings in an equally small building, on the first Saturday they opened to the public, the beer was gone in a matter of hours. So, they moved and expanded to a three-barrel operation. Demand continued to outpace supply. St. Boniface relocated once again to a building that had formerly served as a milk-processing facility. Again, demand — and the presence of food trucks on Saturdays — literally tapped the kegs dry.

In 2013, Dain Shirey joined St. Boniface, handling marketing and social media. A year later, St. Boniface expanded into a full-scale production facility (15-barrel brewhouse plus a canning line.) Today, St. Boniface is known for its extensive menu of seasonal and limited-edition craft beer. It also boasts its own food menu that includes pizza, calzones, stromboli, sandwiches, salads and small bites.

On August 24, another annual giving-back event will be held. Called the Amazing St. BoniRace, it takes its inspiration from CBS’s reality show, The Amazing Race. Proceeds will benefit the No Limits Foundation.

1701 W. Main St., Ephrata. Open Monday-Saturday. Stbonifacebrewing.com.

Designed by architect C. Emlen Urban, Ephrata National Bank reflects the symmetry of Beaux Arts styling. It opened to the public in 1925.

It says quite a lot when customers feel as if they are personally connected to their bank. In the case of Ephrata National Bank, it’s not unusual for customers to present the bank with memorabilia they possess or come across hidden away in an attic.

At one time, every small town in Lancaster County was home to a community bank. Ephrata was no different; in fact, its slogan was “Your Bank.” Unlike other small-town banks, Ephrata’s is the only original to survive.

Ephrata National Bank’s roots extend back to 1881. William Sener, a 19th-century entrepreneur, founded Lancaster’s first electric company, and his home on Charlotte Street was one of the first in the city to be wired for electric. He also owned coal and lumber yards in Ephrata, which prompted him to see the need for a bank. With the backing of 75 investors (each contributing $100), Sener founded Ephrata National Bank.

Nine years later, the bank hired a teller, 18-year-old J. Harry Hibshman, who would go on to become the bank’s fourth president, serving until his death in 1964. Hibshman was a frugal man, never owning a car and always walking to work from his home that was located a few blocks away from the bank. He also never accepted more than $10,000 a year as his salary. However, he was a savvy investor. At the time of his death, he had amassed a blue-chip portfolio that was valued at $1.5 million.

Jim Brown worked with the Manheim firm Roman Mosaics & Tile Company to design a terrazzo floor. The floral accents reflect the design elements that are found in the original stained glass that tops the ceiling and admits light through a skylight.

Hibshman’s frugal philosophy extended to the bank and according to the bank’s archives curator, Jim Brown, it successfully carried the bank through the Depression.

Always one to value education — Hibshman was a member of the school board for 47 years — and with no heirs, he established his legacy by creating a very special scholarship program for Ephrata High School seniors. In his will, he deemed that all of the yearly dividend payments from his stock holdings be paid out in scholarships. He also specified that prospective scholarship recipients must go through a rigorous interview process that entails meeting with the bank president, the mayor, the district superintendent, the high school principal and the school board president.

The original board room serves as the Archives Room. Curator Jim Brown spends 45 minutes with new employees in an effort to acquaint them with the bank’s history.

In 1965, eight 4-year scholarships ($500 for each year) were presented. Since then, the fund has grown substantially (and the amount awarded to each student has grown as well). By 2015, the 50th anniversary of the scholarship program, 3,968 students had received $23 million in scholarships courtesy of J. Harry Hibshman. In 2019, 80 students received scholarships.

In its first 40 years of existence, the bank made its home in several buildings along East Main Street. In the early 20s, that all changed when esteemed architect C. Emlen Urban was charged with designing a proper bank building. The Ephrata project would be Urban’s fourth and last bank assignment. The Beaux Arts design utilized materials such as Vermont marble, English bond brick and walnut hardwoods. Stained glass covered the ceiling, filtering the sunlight that entered via a skylight. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling. The vault was state of the art. The cost to construct the building was $240,000.

In 1925, it was truly something to behold. In fact, on opening day, 10,000 visitors passed through its imposing entrance to view the impressive vault around which the building was constructed. The vault’s frame and door together weigh 26 tons. Ten mules were needed to transport it from the train station to the building site.

The stained glass skylight and chandeliers are original to the building.

To mark the occasion, children were given banks and women were presented with roses. “It truly is a privilege to work in this beautiful building,” says modern-day teller, Penny Fasnacht.

The growth of the bank prompted remodeling/expansion projects in 1960 and again in 1981. In 2011, another project sought to recapture Urban’s vision. Many of the original elements were in place, including the lighting fixtures and skylight. Jim, who also serves as the director of facilities for the bank’s 13 branch offices, brought back the Urban aura with terrazzo floors and gilded ceiling moldings. Items such as an original check-writing deck also resurfaced. “It’s really satisfying to bring history back to this building,” he says.

Speaking of history, the archives, which were launched by Paul Brubaker, are fascinating. “We’re always collecting,” Jim says of acquiring items such as bank notes that come up at auction to calendars and other memorabilia that customers provide. Former bank presidents and their families have been very generous in providing items from their tenures at the bank. A steam trunk that once belonged to Urban is on loan to the bank courtesy of Barb Palm. “You know, when small-town banks are acquired by larger banks, all that history gets lost,” Jim says. “Items may get thrown in boxes with all good intentions, but inevitably the boxes disappear.”

Another chapter in the bank’s history will be written later this year, when Aaron L. Groff, Jr., who began as a teller 52 years ago, will relinquish the presidency of Ephrata National Bank to Jeffrey S. Stauffer.

The Archives Room and a showcase in the public area of the bank are filled with memorabilia and artifacts that date back to the beginnings of Ephrata National Bank.

As you might guess, Ephrata National Bank, which now has branches and free-standing locations in Lancaster (as far south as Georgetown), Berks and Lebanon counties, has a customer base that includes a sizable portion of the Plain community. As a result, the bank’s brand of customer service extends to providing branches with horse ties and in some cases, sheds, all of which provide access to water. The sheds are equipped with electrical outlets that allow Plain customers to charge their iPhones. “Times are changing,” Jim says.

The answer to that observation would be yes and no. Sit in the reception area that provides access to the bank from the rear parking lot, and you’ll hear Sue Shenk greet everyone by name. It’s a tradition that has carried over from the days when the bank employed greeters at its branches. I ask Sue if she knows everyone who comes through the door. “Just about,” she replies. “A lot of customers are in here every day or at least every other day. If I don’t see them, I worry about them.”

This year marks the 75th anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 1944. Operation Overlord, which included the Normandy Landing, was the largest seaborne invasion in history. The operation, which was a year in the planning, would see Allied forces storm the beaches of Normandy in France and eventually liberate all of mainland Europe from Nazi Germany. Throughout the operation, a young man from Ephrata played a key role in the outcome.

Ephrata native, Richard Winters, enlisted in the Army immediately after he graduated from Franklin & Marshall College in 1941. Upon completing basic training, he was selected to attend Officers Candidate School, after which he was commissioned as a second lieutenant. He joined the parachute infantry, which was part of the Army’s new airborne force.

In 1943, plans for the D-Day invasion were well underway. Along with thousands of other members of the parachute infantry, Winters was sent to England to prepare. Like many other members of the infantry, Winters resided with an English family. He spent the months leading up to the invasion preparing mentally, physically and spiritually. He poured over tactical manuals, refrained from socializing and attended Sunday church services without fail, missing only three in nine months’ time.

On June 6, Winters assumed command of Easy Company (2nd battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry), when the 101st Airbourne Division parachuted under the cover of darkness into Normandy. Winters led a contingent of his men in destroying an enemy battery and obtained a detailed map of German defenses stationed along Utah Beach. Following Normandy, Winters and his men fought across Europe, including the Holland Campaign and the Battle of the Bulge, during which they held their place until the Third Army was able to break through enemy lines. Following the Battle of the Bulge, he was promoted to major.

After Germany’s surrender, he remained in Europe as part of the occupation and demobilization process. He separated from the Army on November 29, 1945, and eventually settled in Hershey, where he realized his dream of buying a farm, and went on to become a successful businessman.

Winters’ war-time experiences, which he documented in diaries and letters he wrote home, became public knowledge in 1992 thanks to the Stephen Ambrose book, Band of Brothers. Winters’ wife, Ethel, whom he married in 1951, helped him prepare for his sessions with Ambrose. The book was optioned by actor Tom Hanks and director Steven Spielberg, who created a miniseries that aired on HBO in 2001. English actor Damian Lewis portrayed – or as he prefers to say, “represented” – Winters. The series received 13 Emmy nominations, winning seven awards including Best Miniseries. Band of Brothers also received multiple Golden Globe nominations, winning Best Miniseries in 2002. Winters’ own memoirs, Beyond Band of Brothers, were published in 2006.

Winters died on January 2, 2011, at the age of 92. In the days following his death, millions of comments were posted to the Band of Brothers Facebook page. He was buried in the cemetery at Bergstrasse Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ephrata, where his gravesite is visited from people from around the world. Tokens of respect are often left behind.

Winters’ death didn’t quell interest in his story. On June 6, 2012, the Richard D. Winters Leadership Monument, which was spearheaded by the World War II Foundation, was dedicated on a causeway near Utah Beach in Normandy. The statue that tops the monument bears a resemblance to Winters, who agreed to the honor only if the monument was dedicated to the junior officers who played critical — and often unheralded — roles in the war.

In Winters’ hometown of Ephrata, the artist who created the Normandy monument, Stephen C. Spears, offered a way to honor him in the United States. In keeping with Winters’ desire to honor all veterans, a committee of local community members worked together to build Veterans Plaza with the Winters Leadership Memorial as its centerpiece. The statue is a replica of the one Spears created for Normandy, making it possible for people who don’t have the ability to travel to France, to experience this moving monument.  Inspirational quotes and informational plaques surround the plaza. Bricks were sold to raise funding and are inscribed with the names of hundreds of veterans dating all the way back to the Revolutionary War. The project was funded entirely by private donations from across the United States.  It was dedicated on May 25, 2015.